OWN Bulks Up Originals, Doc Film Block

LOS ANGELES: OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network has two new original series for its prime-time lineup, Searching For… and Breaking Down the Bars, while also picking Crime After Crime for its Documentary Film Club.

Searching For… follows the real-life work of Pam Slaton, a professional investigative genealogist who helps clients find and reconnect with long-lost persons from their lives. Breaking Down the Bars spotlights a group of female prisoners during their time at the Rockville Correctional Facility. Searching For… premieres February 14, followed by Breaking Down the Bars on February 15. In addition, the previously announced series Our America with Lisa Ling will now debut on February 15 and the acquired series what Would You Do? OWN Edition joins the lineup on the same day.

“These new shows join seven originals in prime time. Our goal is to keep providing great series and nourish our OWN audience and keep them coming back for more,” said Christina Norman, the chief executive officer of OWN. “Both series follow very different but equally emotional journeys of self-discovery,” added Lisa Erspamer, the chief creative officer of OWN. "From capturing the unpredictable outcomes of finding a lost loved one in Searching For… to the painful journey prisoners take in an attempt to rebuild their lives in Breaking Down the Bars, viewers will see thought-provoking programming that engages and entertains."

Crime After Crime is a documentary about the legal battle to free Debbie Peggler, a woman imprisoned for over a quarter century due to her connection to the murder of the man who abused her. She finds her only hope for freedom when two rookie attorneys with no background in criminal law step up and take her case.

Erspamer commented: "We knew the moment we saw Yoav’s film it was a perfect fit for us.  It is a deeply moving story about a woman in prison and her unexpected relationship with two young lawyers who spend years of their lives trying to set her free.”

“Throughout the five and a half years of making Crime After Crime, hundreds of people said to me, ‘Oprah has to see this, it would be perfect for her!’" said director Yoav Potash. "And this was before OWN even existed, so now with the network and the Documentary Club, it is an even more perfect match than anyone could have imagined.”